Just A Toy
by fizzazie
Summary: His innocence was taken away from him, and he doesn't know how to sort out the turmoil he feels inside. Will he ever stop blaming himself? Can he learn to love and trust again? Warnings: Shounen-ai [Kai/Rei]
1. Blurred

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Salutations! 'Tis me again with a different stowwie fer y'all! Let's just say zat zis is meh small break from "Nothing More Than A Puppet". ^^ I was s'pose ta add zeh "scene" but I left it out 'coz I know that some peeps 're not comfortable 'bout zose kinds o' stuff. Ah well, please read an' review - t'would be a great honour ta 'ear from ye! By zeh way, zeh charries all look like what they look like in zeh movie - iff'n ye get what I'm tryin' ta say. oO' 'ere's a linkage ta a site zat has their piccies: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/beyblade/character.html 

They look a lot better and cuter in zeh movie! Oh yeah, zis stowwie takes place a year after zeh World Championships - an' even though they're in their movie form... that doesn't mean I'm gonna write about little tidbits of zeh movie plot. ^^; Ye'll hafta find zat out fer yerself - an' I already know. Although I do believe zat t'would take quite a while fer zeh movie to get 'ere - but whatever, a friend o' mine gave me a pretty reliable source fer buyin' _Bakuten Shoot 2002_. Whee! XD 

Hehehe, 'ere's zeh ficcie - enjoy! Whee! Oh wait! Ye'll 'ear zeh phrase "just a toy" quite a lot in zis stowwie - so iff'n gets annoyin'... tell me, a'ight? 'nyways... 'ere's zeh stowwie - enjoy! Whee! I feel like an ol' broken record... --' 

_**Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are **not** mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and **not** for making money._

**Blurred**   
By Shinzui 

The rain pounded on the streets like needles, falling rapidly from the darkened sky. Cold harsh wind blew across the buildings, sending them cascading into each other - as if the spirits were talking about some unknown secret. Since the flaming mortal orange orb was now slowly sinking on the western horizon - everlasting darkness began to take over the land. Almost everybody was heading towards their home... except for a teenager lying down on the ground in the middle of a dark alley. 

The teenager's face was scraped and bleeding by the deep cuts ripping across his face. His right shoulder was bleeding from the nasty gash on it, and his usual red bandana was gone... lying down a few ways away from him. Dyed in crimson, the spot on where he was settled was stained with his blood. As the chilling rain continued to fall, the blood on the concrete was slowly being washed away. He looked pale. His complexion was as white as a ghost. He was unconscious; no sounds... no life. As if he was **dead**. 

"...Ungh..." 

His eyes twitched before he opened them ever so slightly - yet one could still see the confusion and sadness in those faded amber orbs. His vision was blurry for a while then it started to get clearer, although he had to close his eyes again due to the fact that it was raining. His silky raven was loose, but it didn't seem to matter. He shifted his weight and was about to roll over when he felt the pain that rushed through him. He winced and he cried out silently, trying to curl up into a small ball but was stopped immediately by his brain - telling him that it would only give him more pain. 

_I'm just a toy... for them... for everybody..._

A wistful sigh escaped the young teenager's lips, his salted tears mixing in with the droplets of rain and his own blood. The memories of today's events were still fresh, always there in the black-haired boy's mind - lingering and haunting, and it taunted the boy endlessly. Oh, how he wished that he could forget... that he could walk away as if nothing ever happened. But no, he could never forget... he could never forget what happened to him just a while back... his mind would never let him forget. 

His futile screams for help, his moans of pain and agony... they were still bugging him, repeating that horrid scene that he wanted so much to consign to oblivion. Tears continued to make their way down the boy's face, and then he struggled to get up. He flinched, but he kept on going... trying his best to ignore his own pain. He was able to stand up, but he suddenly fell down on his knees... breathing shallowly. He leaned against the brick wall, taking in deep shallow gasps. 

_Why? Why me? What have I done to deserve all of this?_

He guessed that he was like this because his whole body was exhausted from the torture it underwent. The rain took its toll on him and he was cold from the weather. He could already feel the loss of blood from his body, although it wasn't that bad - the thing that bothered him was the fact that he could feel no pain. Just the thoughts of the past - his memories were enough to make him feel numb, cold and bland. Although these memories weren't making him feel any better... He knew that nobody could - would help him, nobody will be able to make the large scar embedded on his mind fade away. But maybe... 

_What am I thinking? He would never help someone like me..._

Sighing, his thoughts wandered over to a certain slate blue-haired boy - well-built frame, pale skin with a pair of twin blue triangles on his cheeks... And his eyes, oh his eyes... those deep orbs of mahogany are just like bottomless pools. What... where? The raven-haired teen cursed softly under his breath, his mind just had to think about _him_! Grr... yelling at himself inwardly, he swore not to let his thoughts drift over to that hot and sexy boy... 

_Damn it, Rei! Stop thinking about him! You're a fucking nobody and you know to well that he doesn't want to hang out with the likes of you!_

Oh well, what else was there to do? Other than thinking about _him_... Sigh. Surely he could go back to the hotel and tell his friends what happened to him, so they could help... but no, that was too much to ask for. He figured that Tyson and the others would be disgusted to see him in this state - used, dirty and broken. He grimaced at the thought of his friends with a look of disapproval on their faces, making him shiver in fear. He wondered what they're doing right now... Are they actually worried that he hasn't come back and are now looking for him? Or are they sitting on the couch, having a laissez faire attitude? He sighed yet again, thinking that they're probably doing the latter... 

_Who cares about me anyways? Certainly not Tyson... nor Kenny and Max... especially not him. He never cared for anything else other than Dranzer, his reputation and his team... or does he care? Tch, it probably wouldn't be me... I'm fucked up, screwed... a bloody freak... a useless toy..._

The White Tiger clutched his heart, feeling it's pain - but he didn't cry, he has no more tears to cry. He closed his eyes and murmured something inaudible, silently hoping for sleep to take over. Suddenly, his hand fell to the ground like a rag doll, and then his head lowered slightly. Fortunately, he was still alive... he just passed out. He lied there, waiting for death to strike. 

Just a few blocks away from the alley, a lone figure walked under the rain, grumbling and mumbling to himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets while his auburn-colored eyes stared straight ahead. He was currently looking around for his lost comrade, and he really wasn't in a mood to do so. He woke up at the wrong side of the bed, Tyson's whining about a search party got the best of him, and worse of all - he was out here in the cold weather, looking for a raven-haired teenager. 

_Why do I even bother? Sure, Rei is my friend and all... but he's perfectly capable of going back to the hotel! Hmm... I should probably stop listening to Tyson for a while... Gah, all this thinking is getting me nowhere..._

He sighed heavily and he continued on with his little 'journey'. Subconsciously, his mind started to show some images of Rei. The White Tiger's laugh, his smile... his silky raven hair - how Kai wished he could run his fingers along those smooth strands. And then, there's his pair of lovely amber gems - they always seem to glint with the tiger's power, vigor and intensity. _Wait_, he thought to himself. _Why am I thinking about him this way?_

_I'm not a freak... I'm just worried about Rei... yes, that's right. I'm just worried..._

He got lost in his thoughts, agreeing and disagreeing with some of the facts. His footsteps soon took him to a waiting shed and he sat down on the bench. The White Tiger was nowhere to be found... and worry started to build up inside him. No, maybe Tyson and the others found him and they were all waiting for their leader to come back. He smiled, picturing his team drinking hot chocolates with Tyson stuffing himself with cookies. He shook his head as he laughed softly, and then he saw something red across the street. 

He stood up, fear overwhelming him. It was a bandana - Rei's bandana. He looked from left to right before he quickly crossed the street. He kneeled down beside the bandana, picking it up. What was Rei's bandana doing here? What if... He shook his head violently, and then he finally saw a trail of blood beside him. His eyes slowly followed the trail, dreading what he might find. His eyes widened in surprise and a small gasp escaped his lips, murmuring the unconscious figure's name. "Rei..." 

He rushed towards his fallen comrade's side, lifting the White Tiger up slightly. He reached other to grasp Rei's hand, shaking him gingerly... urging him to wake up. "Rei! Open your eyes! Please don't be dead..." He added the last part in a whisper, hoping that his friend was still alive. 

"...Ungh... K-K-Kai?" The White Tiger stirred in the Red Phoenix's arms, opening his eyes. His amber orbs - Kai noted - were dull... no longer the lively golden color they used to be. He shivered and was about to pass out, but he fought to stay awake. "W-what... a... re... y-you... doing h... ere?" 

Kai smiled warmly, sighing in relief. "Baka, I'm here to help you." 

"H... elp me? Naze? Am I... in... t-trou..." Rei wasn't able to finish his sentence as he slipped out of reality, letting the darkness conquer him once again. 

"Rei? Rei?!" The Red Phoenix cursed at his bad luck before he carried the White Tiger in his arms. When the other boy's weight was evenly distributed, he took off and headed straight for the hospital. "Pleas hang on, Rei... for everybody's sake..." He whispered. 

. . . . . . . . . 

The night had been young when the Red Phoenix brought the White Tiger to the hospital. The raven-haired boy was a dead weight in his arms, still and only garbed with his torn and bloody clothes. The people around stared as he carried his friend all the way to the emergency room with a questioning look on their faces. 

Kai wanted Rei checked in, no questions asked. He didn't care how much he'd have to pay. He wanted Rei to have the very best medical treatment - considering the fact that his fallen comrade was a vital member of the BladeBreakers. He had to reassure himself over and over again that he was doing this because Rei is his friend, not someone he likes. 

Inserting his hands into his pockets, the Red Phoenix stared out the window, observing the rainy night sky, then the various neon signs and bright lights of the city of Tokyo. Turning his gaze away from the cityscape outside the window of the top floor suite, Kai's burgundy eyes settled on the motionless boy on the hospital bed. Aside from the oxygen mask, Rei's pale face was still a vision of serenity. A long tube joined his arm to an intraveinus bottle that hung above the bed. 

The doctors had said that due to Rei's condition, he needed to be brought to the intensive care unit. Kai had said that it wasn't necessary, however. The White Tiger's spirit and determination were sufficient enough to help him survive. Hopefully. 

The moment the White Tiger had lost consciousness at the alley, the Red Phoenix had lost the smile on his face as well. He had thought his heart would stop beating all together. When Rei was in the emergency room, a nurse came to reassure Kai and asked him if he was worried about the White Tiger; he replied that he was. But now... he was also scared. On the surface, he was his usual calm, cool and composed self. Truthfully, however, anxiety was overflowing deep within him. He felt extremely helpless and vulnerable; all he could do was gaze at his friend's sleeping form. 

His expression was dark and he wore a subtle frown. He grabbed a nearby chair and moved towards Rei's side. He sat down and listened quietly to the White Tiger's erratic breathing. He watched as the other boy's chest go up and down, and then he involuntarily leaned forward - closer. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he was in a trance - like he was being pulled closer by some unknown force. His lips were inches apart from Rei's face and was about to kiss his forehead when the Red Phoenix stopped himself. 

_What am I doing?_

A soft knock was heard and soon enough, his whole team was inside. He turned his head around and came face to face with a worried Tyson. Kai blinked stupidly, sweatdropping as he fell off his chair. "Tyson! Don't do that!" He said, keeping his voice down. 

"Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to..." The Blue Dragon bowed apologetically, grinning as usual. 

The Red Phoenix gave him an odd look before shrugging. "Doesn't matter..." He then returned his gaze back to the White Tiger, sighing sadly. This was the first time he actually noticed how badly injured his friend was - white bandages stained with crimson blood were seen on almost every part of Rei's body. "Makes you wonder what Rei got himself into, right?" He asked quietly. 

"Oh god... did Rei get into a fight or something?" Max asked, his azure blue eyes shining with concern. 

"I don't know, Max. The doctors told me that Rei got attacked..." Kai paused for a moment. "Yet, something tells me that they only told me half of the story." 

"Any ideas on what the other half is?" Tyson asked, and Kai just shook his head 'no'. "Thought so..." 

"It's quite lucky that this happened while we're on vacation..." Dizzi said. 

The Chief looked at his laptop before asking, "What are you talking about? This is NOT what I call lucky!" 

"Take it easy, Kenny... I said that because... can you imagine what Rei would do to himself if this ever happened to him before or during a tournament?" Dizzi asked, making the whole team fall silent. 

The Red Phoenix spoke first, "He would blame himself..." 

"He would put himself down..." The Tortoise added, sighing. 

"He would yell at himself for letting us down, he would tell himself over and over again that he's a failure and..." The Blue Dragon trailed off. "The possibilities are endless..." 

"My point exactly," said Dizzi. 

The whole team fell silent yet again, and all of them were either staring at the floor, at the ceiling - anywhere, but at Rei. They just can't bare the fact that their friend was like this, that he was suffering. They just can't stand it. 

Finally, after a moment of silence, the Blue Dragon spoke up. "We should probably head back, you guys..." 

"Yeah, sure." 

"Okay." 

Tyson glanced at Kai, "Are you staying here?" 

The Red Phoenix nodded, his gaze finding it's way back to the White Tiger. "Yeah..." 

"...'Kay, dude." Tyson watched him for a few moments, then turned to go - with Max and Kenny tailing behind him. 

The Red Phoenix watched the White Tiger; the few seconds he sat there after his team left felt like hours to him. Then suddenly, he felt tears well up in his eyes but he immediately brushed them away. He didn't really know why, but... he just wanted to cry right now. 

_No! I'm not going to... not now, not ever._

He sighed heavily, and then he bowed his head. He ran his fingers over the White Tiger's pale cheek delicately, as if his hands were feathery light. He picked up Rei's limp fingers, sliding his fingers through the space in between. "Hang on, Rei..." 

"Sir?" Kai turned away from the oblivious boy on the bed and looked at the source of the voice. A nurse was eyeing him with a concerned expression. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. I know that you want to stay a bit longer and--" 

The Red Phoenix cut her off, "It's fine. Don't worry - I'll just come back tomorrow." He stood up and took one last look at the White Tiger's face before he walked towards the door and went outside the hospital. He sighed yet again, and then he was greeted by the Blue Dragon's concerned face. "I got kicked out..." He answered solemnly. 

"Oh. Well... we could all visit him again tomorrow, right?" The Blue Dragon said in a soft voice, smiling faintly to at least reassure his team captain. 

"I know. Hey Tyson? What are you still doing here?" 

"Well... I just wanted to wait for you, that's all. Besides, we ordered pizza for dinner!" 

Kai smiled weakly in reply. "Arigatou, Tyson. But... I'm not really hungry." 

Tyson's smile faded slightly. "I see," He forced a bright smile. "Well then, I guess I'll eat it all up myself! Ahahahaha---ahem..." Now he looked terribly uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say to the Red Phoenix. Kai looked extremely sober, and it seemed that nothing could cheer him up. He decided to change the topic. He was about to speak when Kai beat him to it. 

"It's all right," Kai stated. He turned his attention back towards the road. "Let's just go." 

Tyson knew it was useless. With his shoulder slumped, he proceeded to follow Kai back to the hotel. 

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Phew! I'm done! Well? What do you think? Is it another fic that's worth continuing? Or should I just shut up and continue working on "Nothing More Than A Puppet"? Or should I just stop writing all together? -sighs heavily- Tell me what you think, kay? Ja! 


	2. Drowning

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Pretty short note this time - thanks for the reviews! I'm not in a really good mood now for a ramble/rant. Whatever. And now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! No wait, before I forget: **Mirakai**, the girl's name is Hiromi. Although she won't be making an appearance here... too damn lazy. A lil' note fer **Purra**: You just made my day! Thanks for your support! ^^ Gah, this chapter might suck too... --' Ehehehe, anyways - enjoy! 

_**Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are **not** mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and **not** for making money._

**Drowning**   
By Shinzui 

_Where... where am I?_

The White Tiger opened his eyes, and he found himself staring at a white ceiling. Immediately, he knew where he was - the hospital. He didn't like the hospital - he never liked it. He needed to get out of here. Fast. But how? His thoughts were disrupted when the door creaked open, and it made him jump. Then images of two men crashed down on him quickly, making him cringe in fear. He averted his gaze from the door and he gasped slightly when a cheerful voice was heard. 

"Ah! Konbawa, Rei! You're finally awake!" A nurse stated, much to Rei's relief. She took out her pen and wrote something on the papers she brought with her. 

"How long had I been out cold?" Rei asked. The fear he felt a while ago was still in him. It made him feel so vulnerable, so weak... 

"Three days." 

The White Tiger choked, "Nani?! Three days?!" 

The nurse blinked once then twice, before she nodded. "Yeah... four days if you count this day." She paused for a moment, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, right! Your friends visited you every day. Especially the one named Kai, he was very concerned..." 

_Concerned? Him? But why me...?_

"...I don't know why, but maybe it's because he's the team leader of your team," The nurse continued. 

"I see," Rei replied sadly, trying his best to hide his disappointed tone. 

He was such an idiot. His weak heart fooled him once again. He knew that Kai would _never_ like him, let alone love him. He knew that Kai despises weaklings. The Red Phoenix craved perfection and power, both of which are out of the White Tiger's reach. 

He suddenly realized something else. "Wait...! Did you tell them about...?" Rei trailed off, not wanting to say the words. 

The nurse's smile faded away, "No, we didn't. Don't worry about it. Anyways, I'll be off then. I'm pretty sure that Kai would be here soon - he usually comes at this time of the night, anyway," With that, the nurse bid farewell and left. 

_Alone... didn't want to... don't... nothing can... can..._

"Rei?" 

The White Tiger felt a suddenh chil go up and down his spine as soon as he heard that firm and deep voice - Kai. Amber-colored orbs met the gaze of fiery scarlet ones. 

"I'm so glad..." The Red Phoenix sad down beside the White Tiger's bed, staring deep into those tiger-like eyes. "We were so worried..." 

"Worried? You? Yeah, right..." Rei sneered, making Kai look at him, confused. 

"You mean you don't believe me...?" 

"In a word, yes." 

"What? Is it because you still think of me as an emotionless bastard? Is that it? Huh?!" Kai could feel the anger deep inside of him, waiting to be released. 

"Uh-huh..." 

"What happened to you? You've changed... in a few days, to top it all off!" 

"Why does it matter to you?" The White Tiger asked, closing his eyes to calm himself down. 

The Red Phoenix stood up and growled silently. "What is up with you?" All I try to do here is find out what's wrong and then you're blowing up on me like that. God! Why did I even bother caring in the first place?!" He shook his head and was about to walk out the door when he suddenly turned around. "Oh yeah, don't expect me to come back here again. Have fun spending the rest of your two weeks here alone!" With one last glare, he left... left the White Tiger alone, all alone. 

Kai stormed down the hallway and out the doors of the hospital, feeling his blood boil with anger and hatred. That was the first time he actually _felt_ worried and then Rei's attitude just had to appear! He glared at anyone who dared look at him, his piercing crimson eyes was burning with fury. He snapped his gaze back to what's ahead of him, growling angrily to himself. "Kutabacchimae, Rei!!!" He cried out, not caring that people around him were staring. He suddenly felt a droplet of water fall down on his face, making him curse yet again. 

Rain. It was raining. 

_Not again! Damn it! This is really NOT my day!_

Shaking his head to clear out his thoughts, he began to pick up speed until he was running. He tried to hide himself from the rain, but it was useless. "Darn it all." 

_I could've been inside the hotel, minding my own business. But noooo, I just had to visit Rei again and now I'm out here again! Grrr..._

He ran both hands through his soaked hair as he dashed for the entrance to the hotel. He didn't care that he was wet, he just sauntered over to the elevator and nearly punched the wall. He clenched his fists until his knuckles were tight. He let out a frustrated growl, before the elevator doors opened. He walked towards his hotel room, the one he shared with you-know-who, and he slammed the door shut. 

_I tried to be nice... I tried to be a friend..._

_Chikushou!!!_

The Red Phoenix angrily pummeled his fist on his bed, taking in deep breathes. After a few minutes, he calmed down and then he sat down. "Must keep my emotions in check... they might lead to my own destruction..." He got up and went to get some dry clothes. He mumbled something under his breath, and he disappeared inside the bathroom. 

---

The White Tiger at the ceiling for no apparent reason, and his eyes were dark and gloomy. He had been dead silent the moment the Red Phoenix left. He didn't know how long he stayed like that in his room. It could have been hours. It could have been minutes. He didn't know. Kai was gone - was it minutes or hours ago? 

He gazed blankly at the clock on the wall and noticed that an hour and a half had passed since Kai left him. His gaze wandered over to his window, eyes widening as he saw dark clouds... tiny drops of water... Rain. He tried desperately to make himself believe that yesterday didn't exist. 

His world felt gray and cold, so... lonely. He sighed softly, closing his eyes slowly. His problems momentarily forgotten... only peace and solace remained. His face looked tranquil as he fell into a deep slumber. But suddenly, he stirred around his sleep for a little while, and then he suddenly stopped. His face looked horrified as if he was having a nightmare - and he was. 

_ "No... Leave me alone!" The White Tiger pleaded, backing up slightly towards an alley wall. He glanced behind his shoulder, noticing that it was a dead end and then he stared at the duo in front of him. Both of them had this lustful looks in their eyes, and it struck fear in the White Tiger's heart. _

His heart was pounding wildly because he knew what would happen next. He already knew what those strangers want from him... and there was no way out. 

No... please don't... 

Rei shut his eyes closed, flincing slightly as he heard them approach slowly. He backed up even further to the wall, gasping for air. He was cornered like a beast, and he knew that sooner or later it would happen... 

The taller of the two men grabbed his shoulder, shoving him hard on the ground. The other one merely watched in amusement as the White Tiger tried to struggle free out of the man's grasp. The man on top of him smiled wickedly, and then he pulled Rei into a deep kiss, his tongue forcing it's way down the boy's mouth. 

When the man pulled away for air, the White Tiger was about to shout when the other man placed his hand on top of Rei's mouth. "Nobody can hear you scream." 

Nobody can hear me scream... 

The White Tiger suddenly bolted upright in his bed, his eyes wide with fear and terror. He was breathing hard, and sweat was trickling down his forehead. He started to shiver violently, making the boy wrap his arms around himself protectively, silently trying to calm himself down. His efforts were in vain, and little did he know - tears started to make their way down his face. He curled within himself, his body shaking with undying sobs. Every moment invited pain, but he blinded himself to it. 

He wished that somebody was there to comfort him... that somebody was there beside him, telling him that things would be alright. But no... there wasn't anybody who would do that for him. He was so stupid to push away the Red Phoenix, but maybe that was for the best. Yes, it was better if his friends didn't know, it was better if they weren't fussing all over him. He didn't want that, he wanted them to continue on normally with their lives while he picks up the pieces of his broken life. 

_Nobody deserves to know the pain I had gone through... nobody... except me..._

He raised his head, staring off into space. His eyes were blank and open in his head; he already stopped crying. Any signs of life vanished into thin air, and it looks like it would be impossible for him to get back up again. "This is pathetic. I'm the one who's supposed to have the strongest spirit and determination in my team... yet, it looks like I'm the one who gave up so easily," He mumbled to himself. 

---

"Ooi! Kai! Shouldn't we go visit Rei today? Y'know? Because today is the day he gets out of the hospital!" The Blue Dragon pointed out, nibbling on a piece of waffle. He blinked rapidly, gaze locked on his team leader. "Well?" 

"I gotta agree with Tyson, Kai. Besides, it might cheer Rei up a little if you're with us," The Tortoise added, waving his fork absentmindedly. 

"And why would he need cheering up? Isn't he always happy?" The Red Phoenix snorted, still angry about what happened between him and the White Tiger. 

"Well... he wasn't happy for the past few days. Ever since you stopped visiting him, that is. And I just thought that--" 

"I'm not going and that's final," Kai stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. 

The rest of the BladeBreakers sighed in defeat, and all of them suddenly lost their appetite. Even Tyson, miraculously. They sighed again all at once, before Tyson mumbled about going now. Kenny and Max shrugged their shoulders and followed the dark blue-haired boy out of the hotel. 

---

He was having yet another nightmare... 

"NO! Leave me alone...!" The White Tiger snapped his eyes open, bolting upright in the process. He shivered at a brief memory that crossed his mind, and tears started to well up in his eyes - again. He hated it, hated the fact that he cried most of time - especially after waking up from the same old nightmare. He felt so weak, so... pitifully pathetic. He whimpered as he pressed his eyes closed, but that didn't stop the painful memories from coming back. 

"No..." 

_'Don't worry, little boy... you'll enjoy this... we know you want it.'_

"I never wanted this, I never did!" He held his head in his hands, pushing the images away. Although they still came back to haunt him even more. 

"REI! How are ya buddy?" The door swung open as the Blue Dragon went inside, slightly making Rei jump. "The others are downstairs - waiting for both of us to go down!" He said cheerfully, grinning as usual. 

The White Tiger managed to form a weak - yet strained - smile. He attempted to stand up, but he fell back down on his bed when the pain moved throughout his body. He groaned, unintentionally, and winced. 

"Whoa! Easy there, Rei! Are you okay?" Tyson asked, he had his midnight blue eyes fixed on Rei. 

"Yeah, just a little sore from sleeping on my back for the whole time I was here," Rei lied as he grinned sheepishly to hide his pain. He had been thinking for the past few days, he would hide his pain from the others - he would never let them know, not now ever. That was easy enough... right? 

"Ah, I see. Well? Shall we go then? The doctor told me that you can leave whenever you want, besides - we still hafta get on with our plans!" The Blue Dragon stated, extending out a hand. 

"Hai, hai!" The White Tiger faked a laugh, reaching out to grasp Tyson's offered hand. He pulled himself up and winced slightly at the pain, but he had to do this. He grabbed his bandana and tied it around his forehead, straightening out any wrinkles on his clothes. When that was done, he slowly placed his black fingerless gloves back on his hands, and then he sighed. "Well, I'm done." 

"Okie dokie!" Tyson moved over the place Rei's right hand around his shoulders, making the raven-haired teenager look at him in confusion. "What? I just don't want my friend to get injured again!" 

"Seriously, Tyson... I can take care of myself!" 

"Not a chance, dude. I'm gonna carry ya all the way down! Just try and stop me!" The dark blue-haired boy chuckled as he began to half-drag Rei out of his hospital room. He personally thought that someone else should be here instead of him - and that someone was a certain stoic blader who cared at first, but suddenly lost his emotions again. 

"Hey Rei..." The Blue Dragon started as both of them walked inside the elevator. "What happened between you and Kai?" 

The White Tiger turned his head away, avoiding looking at those worried dark blue pools. He wasn't really comfortable talking about this. "I don't want to talk about it." He said, not bothering a more substantial answer. 

"Whatever you say, buddy. But you have to tell someone soon," said Tyson, going out of the elevator to meet up with the Chief and Max. 

"There's nothing to talk about!" Rei snapped irritably. 

The Blue Dragon blinked at Rei's snappy attitude, before muttering a small "Fine." He waved his hand to get Max and Kenny's attention, and soon enough - both bladers were heading straight for them. 

"Heya Rei! How are ya feeling?" The Tortoise asked, wearing his trademark 'puppy' smile. 

"I'm fine, Max... just fine." 

"That's good then! Well, let's head out, shall we? Kai's probably annoyed by now," Kenny pointed out, receiving nods from everybody - everybody, except the White Tiger. "Rei?" 

The raven-haired teenager snapped out of his thoughts, "Ah... yeah, sure." He suddenly felt three pairs of eyes staring at him, and it made him feel uncomfortable. "W-what?" 

"Something's wrong, something's bothering you - now talk. Kai always had this feeling that the doctors weren't telling him - us - the truth about what happened to you." 

The White Tiger blinked. How could he tell them, how would they react if they knew what he had done, what had been done to him? He couldn't tell, wouldn't tell. No one would ever know, and he could continue with his life, not having to worry about how the others saw him. "It's nothing." 

"Really now, Rei? You think we're _that_ stupid, huh?" The Blue Dragon asked, but the White Tiger remained silent. "Well, if you really don't wanna spill - then fine, be that way. Your problem will be bottled up inside your heart, and when you couldn't take it anymore - you'll do something drastic just so you could let it all out." 

"You have friends, Rei, friends who have feelings - and I for one, would be very, _very_ traumatized if you never opened your eyes again. Always remember that," Tyson added, keeping a stern look on his face the whole time. 

Rei stared at his friends, dumbfounded. His mind was racing at hyper speed - should he? Should he tell them? He didn't know. He looked away and shut his eyes closed. "I don't need your help! I don't need anybody's help!!" With that, he ran. He ran away from his team mates despite their cries for him to come back. 

He couldn't help it. He didn't want them to care, he doesn't want them to worry about him. It was his fault that he was hurting, and he wouldn't let anybody carry his own burden. He needed to - he _had_ to solve this problem by himself. 

He didn't know where to go. He wanted to- 

He froze. 

For as he turned around the corner of a street, there they were - the originators of his pain, the attackers who had taken not only his body, but his soul as well. There, in front of him, were the same men he had met two weeks ago. 

Fear and panic and absolute terror rushed through him. "Muhn..." He cried weakly, looking for an exit. 

"Well, well. It's so nice to see you again," The tall one said, his eyes gleaming evilly. 

"Yeah, bro. Looks like this cutey is up for round two," The smaller one said, grinning mischievously. 

The White Tiger couldn't tell how terrified he was, that he was paralyzed with fear. He was a tiger, he should be fighting back, he should have found a way out of this. But he couldn't move a muscle, couldn't lift a finger. He suddenly perked up when he heard his friends' voices, calling out his name. 

_I could scream... then Tyson and the others would come here..._

He found comfort in this thought until he had another one. 

_I can't scream... I can't find my voice... I don't know where my voice is..._

The two strangers came close to Rei's frozen body, pushing him towards an alley. "We're gonna have lots of _fun_ this time. Y'know? We missed you... missed you so much that we can't go easy on you this time." 

Rei found himself frozen with terror to the floor, and his eyes widened when he saw his friends pass by the alley without even noticing him. Didn't they see him? Didn't they care that he was about to get broken yet again? Didn't they- 

"L-leave m-m-me alone," He whispered, his heart racing in panic. 

"I don't think so." 

Before the White Tiger could do anything, something collided with his head. He fell to his knees. He fought against the darkness that seeped into his mind, knowing that if he lost consciousness those strangers would have him again. But try as he might, the darkness overtook him. He slipped away, the last of the light fading, as he fell to his side. Kai help me, he thought, as everything else disappeared. 

---

Rei lay on the cold hard floor. His body shivered as the coldness seeped into every pore of his bare body. He pushed himself off the floor, pulling his knees to his chest in an attempt to keep warm. His ribs ached at the movement, his head throbbed in pain, but he was just so cold. It happened again, it really happened again. 

But he didn't cry... 

Looking around blankly, he found a pile of his discarded clothes beside him. He moved dully to get dressed again. He mobed mechanically, like he was dreaming - like in fact, this had all been some terrible nightmare. But it wasn't. It was real. The pain was real, the guys were real, everything was real. 

It was nighttime already. The moon was settled in her court, surrounded by billions of sparkly diamonds of light. Rei didn't know how long he had been there, but he didn't care. Tying his bandana back on and fixing his hair in a low ponytail, he lowered his head. His bangs covered his eyes, hiding them from the rest of the world. He walked slowly, and not a mere grunt of sigh was heard from him. Just silence. Usually, something bad happens after this - something really bad. The calm before the storm... 

He found his way back to the hotel, found out that his comrades were out somewhere - including _him_ - and found his way to the bathroom. He cleaned himself thoroughly all over, but he couldn't rid of the feeling of dirtiness. "Body broken, soul tainted... I am nothing." He went out of the shower and put on his darkest shirt and pyjamas and went straight to bed. 

Sometime later - he stood up and walked over to his room's balcony. His hands gripped the railings and he looked down casually. He was about to swing his right leg over the railings when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. This made him jump and almost fall down, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, preventing him from falling off. 

"Rei! What are you doing?! You could've died!!" There was fear and panic in the Red Phoenix's voice, something that he doesn't show off a lot. He had never been more scared in his life; he almost lost a team mate, a friend! 

"Body broken, soul tainted... I am nothing. Don't bother, don't care... I want to die," The White Tiger mumbled in a monotone voice. He almost sounded like a robot! 

"Nani? What are you talking about, Rei?" Kai asked, pulling his comrade back inside. He turned his friend around so that they were facing each other, his arms still around Rei's waist. He had no clue why he was acting like this; he was supposed to be a few ways away from Rei, not a few inches. Bah... whatever. 

"..." The White Tiger opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out. With this, he shrugged his shoulders and what little flame he had in his amber eyes vanished. 

"Rei?" The Red Phoenix sighed and he eventually shrugged, indicating that Rei should get back to bed. Rei did so, crawling under the covers. "You're really pale. Will you be all right?" 

The White Tiger swallowed and nodded, knowing with a sinking feeling that he was drowning, and that he wouldn't be all right tonight or tomorrow or the day after... 

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** And zeh second chappie is done! What do ya think of it? Please tell me - and it would be a great honour to hear your thoughts and comments! ^^ The next chappie would be fun to write - whee! Anyways, I'll get workin' on it right away. Ja! 


	3. Broken

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Wai!! I feel so luffed. ^^ Whee! I'm on a roll! This is a chappie has a somewhat sappy scene. Whoa... this should be fun. XD **Purra:** I thought you hated Slash? Now I see you reviewing Kai/Rei ficcies. ^^ Whee! -eyes Kumori and Sedi- No threats, please. I haff meh alligators by meh side. ^^ Rawr! Anyways, I won't hold you from readin' zeh next chappie - so here it is! Enjoy! 

_**Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are **not** mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and **not** for making money._

**Broken**   
By Shinzui 

The White Tiger woke up, his body covered in sweat. "It happened again..." He muttered to himself as he lifted his shaking hands to his face. He sighed and he glanced over to the other side of the room. Even in the dark, he could still see the Red Phoenix, sleeping in his own bed, his back facing the raven-haired teenager. He was quite thankful that he hadn't woken up the other blader. Even though they shared the same room, the White Tiger wished that they also shared the same feelings as well. 

Rei pushed those feelings away, knowing that Kai was still mad at him - even though he did save his life a while ago. He probably did that because he didn't want to lose a member of the BladeBreakers, Rei thought bitterly. Still, he couldn't help but wish that the slate blue-haired boy treated him more than just a comrade, more than just a friend. He grimaced, he wasn't even sure if Kai saw him as a friend. 

For all the White Tiger knew, the Red Phoenix hated him. 

Just by thinking about this made him cringe, made him want to kill himself. He closed his eyes and he opened them up again. He sighed heavily, wondering if he would be able to get any sleep. 

Probably not. The sun was rising anyway... 

Suddenly, his memories crashed down on him, making the boy gasp in horror. Those two men... those two men staring at him - through him, laughing at him, holding him tightly and finally stripping his clothes away with his dignity. "No... n-not again," He stammered and covered his eyes, blocking the images away. But no matter how hard he tried, every scene came back to haunt him with intense clarity. 

This incredible fear was destroying him... 

The White Tiger stared impassively at the ceiling as sunlight crept up to his bed, warming him up. Yet, he was still cold inside. Cold, numb, bland. He didn't know. It was all jumbled up, each one fighting over for control. Anger, fear, sadness, hatred. He just didn't know. 

"Rei?" A groggy voice called, snapping him back to reality. "Are you awake already?" 

"..." 

"Rei?" 

The White Tiger turned his head slowly to face his comrade, much like a live doll. His blank stare frightened the Red Phoenix, but knowing Kai - he didn't dare show any signs of this. 

"Are you all right?" Kai asked, yawning sleepily. 

The only reply he got was a nod, nothing more than that. 

The slate blue-haired boy raised an eyebrow, not believing the White Tiger one bit. But he left it at that, it was obvious that Rei didn't want to talk. Kai knew that he couldn't force the raven-haired boy to talk if he didn't want to. He had known from past experience that Rei was a stubborn person. 

The White Tiger sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. As he stood, he glanced at the window, his eyes turning into tiger eyes. When his eyes returned to their normal state, he grabbed a new set of clothes and sighed. He crossed the room, and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him quietly. He flicked the light on and removed his clothes, stepping under the shower. 

He desperately tried to get rid of that feeling of dirtiness, but it didn't go away. He inhaled deeply, allowing the scalding water to wash over his body. He stayed there for a while, and then he stepped out. He put on his usual clothing and when he was finished, he caught sight of himself at the mirror. His mirror image reflected exactly what he looked like. Dull orbs of amber, blank expression, pale face - he looked awful. 

He walked out of the bathroom and sat down on his bed, staring off into space. He felt his bed shift, but he ignored it and kept on staring. A hand waved in front of his eyes, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

"Rei? Are you absolutely sure that you're fine?" The Red Phoenix said, although he didn't really sound too concern, much to Rei's dismay. 

No response. 

"Rei?" 

Kai got a response, but it was only a nod. 

Sighing in defeat, Kai stood up and went inside the bathroom. His mind was filled with questions - questions that he himself cannot answer. But he was completely focused on one question - what is up with Rei? "I'll never get the answers I need like this... kuso..." He mumbled to himself, shaking his head softly. 

Although he didn't listen to himself as he continued to wonder what was bothering the White Tiger. It was pretty obvious that something was definitely wrong and that the White Tiger was hiding something from them all. Heck, it was eating him up, changing him into someone else. 

The Red Phoenix sighed, remembering the past. He had awakened several times over the past few nights, usually at dawn, hearing strange sounds. His gaze would always travel over to his friend's bed, seeing the other blader toss and turn in his sleep. And then, Rei would wake up. Kai didn't want the other blader to know that he was awake, so he turned around and pretended to be asleep. Then he would hear Rei mutter something inaudible and then complete silence. 

Even though this started not so long ago, this odd behaviour was beginning to worry Kai. Yet, he didn't think that it was his place to ask what was wrong. Forcing out an answer from Rei wouldn't work, let alone help. It was annoying the Red Phoenix, watching the White Tiger go on with his life like a zombie. He just wished that Rei would tell him, or anyone. 

_These feelings I have right now... they're all so foreign to me... Could it be that I...? No! I can't... but what if I do? God, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I feel, heck - I don't even know if he does feel that way. _

Maybe... maybe, I should just wait. Wait for him to make the first move... then that'll confirm what I truly feel. Yeah, I'll just wait for him... I'm not about to risk getting hurt because of this. 

He went out of the shower and slipped on his clothes. He emerged from the bathroom and noticed that Rei hadn't moved from his spot on his bed. He was still staring. Kai walked up to his comrade and placed a hand on the raven-haired teenager's head, making him gasp and edge away from Kai's soft touch. "Rei... it's just me," The Red Phoenix said. 

The White Tiger looked up at the Red Phoenix, gazing blankly with his eyes. No light, no sparkle, no life, no soul. It was just like a void, a hollow space that was once filled with so many but now held nothing. 

This startled Kai, but once again he remained calm. "Want to come down and get some breakfast before Tyson eats them all up?" He gave a small smile, but Rei just stared at him. He wasn't staring at the slate blue-haired boy, but straight through him, as if there was somebody behind him. 

"..." 

The Red Phoenix sighed, "Will you just tell me what's wrong?" 

Silence. 

"Rei?" 

Silence. 

"REI!" 

"Just leave me alone," The White Tiger murmured weakly; so weak that Kai had to lean closer. Rei edged away from the Red Phoenix, not wanting the other blader to be so close. When Kai reached out to hold Rei, he recoiled, moving away even more. "Don't touch me..." He pleaded, his voice barely loud enough for someone to hear. Amber-colored eyes flashed with fear and terror, and then it vanished without a trace. 

The Red Phoenix backed away, "Fine. If that's what you want, I'm gone." He huffed before he turned around and left. 

Rei returned his gaze back to whatever he was staring at, not knowing what else to do. He got lost in his thoughts, his mind plagued by the memories he wanted to go away. And suddenly... 

_ He felt it. The hands were on him again, cold, rough hands. They held him down tightly, not allowing him to break free out of their grasp. He heard their laughter, their evil laughter. Then he felt pain, and sudden blackness._

He whimpered and clutched his head, surpressing his tears. He shuddered violently as he pushed the memories away, stopping them from flooding back into his mind. He didn't want to... not now, not right now. He then had the sudden urge to harm himself - to make it stop... the pain. His dead gaze wandered over to his bag, where his dagger was settled. He stood up, pulled out his dagger and went inside the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and gripped the hilt tightly. 

Should he? He stared at the deadly blade, and stared at the mirror. He didn't look at the mirror, but he looked through it. He saw himself as a dirty and filthy rat; a sad and no good teenager. He placed he fatal object on his wrist and without a second thought - he swiftly brought it across, causing a thin river of crimson blood to flow. He gazed at it blankly before he smiled and laughed. 

_I'm so fucked up..._

He slashed his wrist a couple more times because he wasn't contented with the amount of blood flowing. He didn't care about the pain - hell, he didn't feel any. The pain he felt earlier disappeared, along with his blood. Although his amber-colored eyes reflected the intense pain that he always kept hidden behind a blank face. 

No one would know, he thought to himself. No one would know what truth lay hidden beneath his lies. For he knew none of them would understand what he was going through, what emotions he felt. He sighed and was about to stab himself when something stopped him. Kai. No, the Red Phoenix wasn't there physically - but to the White Tiger, he was. 

Rei closed his eyes. He couldn't leave Kai, he didn't want to cause him any pain. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he died and Kai started blaming himself, saying that he could have stopped it somehow. He didn't want that, so he grabbed some bandages and cleaned up his wounds before applying some antiseptic. He hissed in pain, but when he was done... he wrapped both of his wrists with bandages so that the others won't notice - hopefully. 

He cleaned up the floor and sink before he got out of the bathroom. He walked out of his hotel room and was about to head for the elevator when he spotted Tyson and the others. He wore a strained smile, his eyes shining with lies. "Hey guys! What's up?" 

"The ceiling, of course!" The Blue Dragon replied, getting a playful whack on the head from the Tortoise. "Itai! What was that for?!" 

"Oh nothing," Max replied, wearing his trademark 'puppy' grin. "Hehehe, anyways - to answer your question, Rei... we're heading out to the mall, wanna come?" 

_Looks like Kai never told them about..._

"Nah, I think I'll pass," The White Tiger said, knowing too well why. _They_ were out there, so if he stayed here - he'll be safe. "In any case, I'm gonna go grab some breakfast. Ja!" 

"Ah, ja!" 

Rei jogged up to the elevator and his smile faded back to oblivion. When the elevator doors closed, he leaned against the wall, sighing. He got off the elevator and walked over to the cafeteria. He gazed at the buffet table, not feeling hungry anymore. He got himself a cup of coffee and saw a mass of two-toned slate blue hair. He grimaced at the thought of sitting with him, but he really didn't have a choice. 

He walked up to the table and sat across from the Red Phoenix, setting his cup down. No word was heart, not one of them dared to speak. 

Kai casually sipped his coffee while Rei just stared at his. "You know," Kai started. "It would still be coffee after you stared at it for the whole day." He placed his cup down to look at Rei, who had his bangs covering his eyes. Rei looked up at his comrade, but didn't speak. 

"I know something's wrong," The Red Phoenix stated. 

"..." 

"I know I'm... I'm not a good listener. I know I'm not. But I am your team captain... and I am your friend. I'm here for you." 

The White Tiger lowered his gaze again, looking at the table blankly. 

"Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong so I could help," Kai stated, gazing at his friend thoughtfully. 

"I thought you were mad at me..." Rei whispered. 

"Well, I will be if you don't talk." 

No response. 

"Rei?" 

No response. 

"This is absurd. I'm out of here," The Red Phoenix got up and left again. 

As soon as the slate blue-haired boy was out of sight, the raven-haired teenager felt a tear slid down his cheek. He bit his bottom lip and stood up as well. He went straight to his hotel suite. Seeing that Kai wasn't there, he burst into sobs - horrible, frightened sobs. He just fell like a rag doll on his knees, his body shaking with undying sobs. 

He felt something cold rub against him and he slowly looked up, expecting to see Kai's face. But much to his dismay, it wasn't. His eyes were nothing but a golden dot when he saw two faces that he wouldn't forget. It was those two guys - Aku and Kagai. He jumped backwards and their images disappeared; it looked like he was only hallucinating. 

By this time, he was sobbing in terror. He shivered and didn't even notice the door opening. He was sobbing so hard that he could barely breathe between the heavings of his chest. He suddenly felt someone take his shaking hands and held them firmly. He cried out and tried to push whoever it was away from him, sobbing helplessly. 

"Rei... please tell me what's wrong!" He knew right there and then that it was Kai. 

"Go away!!" Rei sobbed, as he tried to push Kai off him, but his struggles were weaker now. Soon, he just stopped struggling and hid his face, shaking with pent up fear and pain. 

"Rei..." The Red Phoenix swallowed all of his pride as he wrapped his arms around his comrade's frail and frightened body. "I don't know what's hurting you... but you're safe now... you're safe..." He whispered soothingly into Rei's ear. 

"Ka... Kai..." The White Tiger sobbed. 

"What?" 

"I-I thought you were mad at me..." 

Kai sighed and held Rei tighter. "I'm not... I was just frustrated that I don't know what's up with you... So please, Rei... please tell me what's wrong." 

"I w-w-wanna tell you... but I c-can't..." 

"Yes, you can. Just tell me, Rei. I want to help you; not as your captain - but as a friend, a _close_ friend." 

The White Tiger wanted to tell the Red Phoenix, but somehow... he can't. He wouldn't burden his comrade with the knowledge of that incident. He knew that Kai would only see him as a disgusting freak. Yet... at the same time, he didn't want to be left alone with it anymore. 

_I've been raped._

"Rei?" 

_I've been raped, Kai._

"Rei, please talk to me." 

_I've been raped, Kai. Twice._

"Come on, don't give me that again." 

_I've been raped, Kai. Twice. Please help me._

"Iahivuc..." Was all Rei could manage to say. Why was it so hard to talk? 

"What? A translation, perhaps?" Kai smiled gently. 

"I've..." 

"What? What is it?" 

"I've been..." 

"What happened, Rei?" 

_I want to die..._

Silence fell upon the two boys with Kai looking down at the troubled teenager in his arms. "Rei?" 

"Nothing," The White Tiger blurted out. 

"Do I have to smack you?!" The Red Phoenix pulled away and grabbed Rei's shirt with both hands, his eyes blazing with fury. He was so close... so close to finding out what's bothering his friend. Then it just disappeared. He sighed softly and hugged Rei gently. "What am I going to do with you? Rei... for God's sake, tell somebody. I don't care who as long as you tell someone..." 

Rei ran out of words to say. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say. He just stayed there in Kai's warm embrace, at least - he felt safe. He sighed wistfully and cuddled up even more. Just then, he realized who was with him and he jerked away from the embrace, pushing his back against the wall. 

"Rei?" 

The White Tiger huddled up into a tight ball, shaking uncontrollably. "Go away, go away, go away," He repeated, over and over and over again. 

The Red Phoenix moved closer and slowly reached out, but this triggered something and Rei started to kick and scream at his team-mate, telling him to get away. Kai pulled his hand back, clenching it into a fist. "What happened to you..." 

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Hah! Sorry if this chappie ended this way... but I don't wanna move on further. ^^ I will haff a very special treat fer y'all in christmas! Whee! But maybe ye'll run after meh neck - but whatever! Hahaha! An' I'm done rambling. Rawr! Please leave a nice lil' review an' I might get zeh next chappie out soon. Ah, ja! 


	4. Revelations

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Well everyone, this is one short chappie - short, and crappy. >> I was in a hurry 'coz I'm planning on getting Chapter 5 by Christmas. ^^ Whee! I'm gonna go as fast as I can - but the stowwie won't end at Chappie 5... -evil grin- Oh no, you're in for a lot more fun! About the Japanese words, really sorry, **Purra**. Next time, I'll put the translations. ^^ Hehe. Here it is: Chapter 4! Enjoy! 

_**Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are **not** mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and **not** for making money._

**Revelations**   
By Shinzui 

The White Tiger was huddled at a corner, eyes staring straight ahead. His eyes were blank and he looked like he hadn't sleep in days. The soft rays of the pallid moon filtered through the dark curtains, casing a dim glow around the whole place. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the Red Phoenix was there, keeping a watchful eye over him. 

The past few days have been hellish for the raven-haired teenager, for his conscience never left him alone. He was responsible for his friends' torment... because of him, not a single BladeBreaker was enjoying their Christmas vacation. Not a single one, for all of them were concerned about his welfare. "It's all my fault..." He whispered as he was on the verge of tears. "It's all my fault... I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." 

The slate blue-haired boy was alerted and was immediately beside Rei. "Rei, what's wrong? What's your fault?" 

"Everything," Rei's voice was barely audible. He squirmed as he sensed Kai's presence beside him, frightening him even more - no matter how familiar it was. He felt a hand on his chin, lifting his head up gently to make eye contact. He jerked away from the touch, curling up even more. "Leave me be... go away!" 

Not this again, Kai thought, sighing. "Rei... you're starting to scare me now... To be honest, I don't know what to do with you anymore... Can you please tell me what's bothering you?" 

"I don't know, I don't know... I don't know anymore!!" The White Tiger couldn't tell the Red Phoenix what was wrong, for he didn't know it anymore. It had built up inside him, and he had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. He saw nowhere to go, no way out... except... 

_I can't do it right in front of him... but I need to... I_ have _to_

He eyed the bathroom and made a wild dash for it, locking the door. He found his dagger at where he hid it, gazing at his newfound 'friend'. He smiled insanely, laughing dryly. He removed the bandages on his wrist, and began to cut himself again. He grinned madly and continued on with his merciless torture to himself. 

"Rei? What's going on in there?" No matter how hard the Red Phoenix tried, he just couldn't hide the worry and panic in his voice. 

"Why do you care, Kai?" The White Tiger asked, watching his blood ran down his arm. He suddenly felt rage build inside him, but he doesn't know why. "Just fuck off and let me die in peace!" He added, his voice getting louder and louder. 

Within a second, Kai was entirely taken over by fear and started to slam himself into the door. "REI! Open the door!!" 

"Just leave me alone!" 

"No! I won't leave this spot until you come out," The Red Phoenix replied. 

"Give me one good reason," The White Tiger whispered as he leaned against the door and slid down to floor. "... on why I shouldn't die." He brought his knees closer to his chest and rested his head on top of them. 

"Because I..." Kai trailed off, thinking of the right words to say. 

"Because what Kai?" 

"Because I lo-" Kai stopped himself and immediately regained his thoughts. "Because I think that it's... Forget it! I'm not good with this!" He growled in frustration before he went outside the room. 

Rei whimpered when he heard his comrade leave, his eyes darkening with sadness. "I was right all along... nobody cares..." He said to himself, tears falling freely from his eyes. He curled up into a tight ball as he felt his heart's pain. "Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares..." 

_What just happened in there?_

That question ran through the Red Phoenix's mind, but he couldn't formulate the answer because he was constantly bombarded by his feelings, screaming at him to go back. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then he bumped into someone. Mumbling an apology, he didn't dare look up at who he had almost knocked down. He was about to walk away when somebody grabbed his wrist. 

"Kai, where are you going? Is Rei okay?" It was the one and only Tyson. 

"Hn. He's right inside the bathroom, crying his heart out while slashing himself," Kai replied bluntly. 

"Say what?!" The Blue Dragon was angered. "And you just left him there?!" 

"Of cou--" The slate blue-haired boy wasn't able to complete his sentence when he felt pain come in contact with his jaw. He was thrown back by the sudden punch and he nursed his cheek, glaring at Tyson. "What did you do that for?!" 

"You bastard! How heartless can you be?! Rei's your friend and you left him alone while he's trying to commit suicide! Damn it, Kai! I thought you changed - but you never did!" The navy blue-haired boy filled with words with venom. With one last glare at his leader, he ran towards Kai and Rei's room. 

He went inside and at that precise moment, he became aware of terrified sobs coming from the bathroom. "Rei?" He turned the doorknob but it was locked. "Rei... open up." 

"Leave me alone!" came a muffled reply. 

"No Rei, I won't," Tyson said firmly. "I'm not going to leave you alone... not until you tell me what's wrong." 

Slowly, the door opened, revealing a terrified White Tiger. His wrists already had bandages on them, but his clothes were stained with his blood. But that didn't matter... not right now anyway. 

"I don't know what's wrong... I just don't know anymore..." Rei whispered as he allowed his friend to lead him to his bed. "I don't know what happened... I can't--" 

"Shh... just go to sleep. You could always tell me some other time," The Blue Dragon gently pushed the older boy to lay down, smiling slightly. Rei was always there for him, so now it was his turn to do the same. He'll find out what's bugging Rei, but right now... his friend needed to rest. "Sleep tight, Rei." 

"Stay." 

"What was that?" 

"Stay with me. I don't want to be left alone. Not again..." Rei whispered, trembling slightly. 

"Don't worry pal... I'll be here when you wake up." With that said, the White Tiger smiled and he eventually drifted off to sleep, exhausted from what happened. 

Tyson got a chair and placed it next to the bed. He sat down and hoped that his comrade would open up when he wakes up. He had always looked up to the raven-haired teenager, and seeing him in pain made the Blue Dragon frown everytime he thought about it. And then he... 

He was snapped out of his reverie when a sound caught his attention. He looked at Rei and noticed his pained expression, cluthing the bed sheets tightly. Rei was gasping for breathe as his head thrashed from side to side. 

"A nightmare?" Tyson leaned closer, listening as Rei mumbled in his sleep. 

"Go away... No, don't come near me. Leave... leave me alone!!" The White Tiger shot up, eyes wide with fear and terror. 

"Rei?" In one fluid motion, Rei had wrapped his arms around Tyson's waist, burying his face into the other blader's chest. 

"They're coming to get me, they're coming to get me... Please don't let them... I don't want to... I can't..." The last part of his sentence came out as a squeak, shaking like the leaves rustling in the wind. 

The Blue Dragon wrapped his arms around his comrade, whispering soothing and calming words into Rei's ear. He hesitated at first, but he knew that he needed to ask right now. "Who are you talking about, Rei? Who's coming to get you?" 

"Aku and Kagai..." Rei replied in a whisper. "They... I..." His body trembled as the memories resurfaced. 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." 

But Rei ignored that offer. He had to continue, he had to let it out, or else he wouldn't be able to do it later. "I was raped... twice... They raped me, Tyson... I'm scared..." He looked up at the Blue Dragon, expecting to see a look of total disgust. But he didn't see disgust, in fact - all he saw was a deep look of sympathy. 

"Good lord, Rei. Why didn't you tell us? We could've helped you... Y'know? We could've sent those guys back to where they came from with their tails tucked in between their legs." Tyson stated, in an obvious attempt to lighten the situation. Then his expression grew serious. "Feel any better?" 

"I guess. Maybe a little," Rei whispered. He did feel better, slightly. 

"Why don't you go back to sleep now? You need it," Tyson said, gently pushing Rei again. 

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone," Rei demanded, his eyes locked with those midnight blue orbs. 

"You have my word. Don't worry," Tyson replied as he stood. He took a few steps away then turned back. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to eat!" He grinned, chuckling softly. Suddenly, a pillow hit him square in the face, blinking as it fell down. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!" 

"Well, whatever! Go down now, your food awaits," The White Tiger stated as he grinned back. 

"Yeah, yeah. G'night!" With one last grin and wave, Tyson left the room. 

Rei sighed as he closed his eyes, hoping that his nightmares wouldn't come. He wanted a peaceful sleep, something he hadn't had in a very long time. Maybe now that he finally told someone, he would get some rest. Maybe... just maybe... 

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** -grins innocently- I did say short chappie, yes? Hmm... anyways, that'll be it for now, folks! I'm gonna work on the next chappie now. Methinks that Chappie 5 will be longer - I THINK! Hehehe... I hafta run now! See y'all this Christmas! Ye're present will be ready by then - present meaning zeh next chappie! ^^ Ja! 


	5. Silent Night

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Merry Christmas everyone! -throws out candy canes- Whee! And here's the long and utterly pathetic Chappie 5. --' I don't like the way this chapter came out... so you be the judge. But anyways - I gotta get some shields and swords to protect mehself from an incoming angry mob. -flinches then scurries away- Here's Chappie 5! Enjoy! 

**Japanese Translations Fer Ye:**   
Kirei - Pretty, beautiful   
Kami-sam - God   
Merii kurisumasu, minna-san! - Merry Christmas, everybody!   
[Insert name] no baka! - [Name], you idiot!   
Sensei - Teacher   
Gomen - Sorry   
Aniki - Big brother 

_**Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are **not** mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and **not** for making money._

**Silent Night**   
By Shinzui 

"Just about done..." 

The Chief sat at a chair, typing away furiously at his laptop. He was constantly upgrading his team mates beyblades as a small addition to his real Christmas gifts. Although he wasn't really in the mood for Christmas right now... nor was anyone else in their team, seeing that one of their comrades was hurt - mentally and emotionally. But... the world went on, regardless on whether everything was fine or not. 

He sighed heavily and cracked his knuckles, feeling satisfied with the work he did. He enhanced each blade's specialty, and added a few minor changes to each attack ring. He yawned and glanced at the clock. "11:48... I think I'm gonna hit the sack..." 

"Finally, Kenny! I can get my beauty sleep. A growing bitbeast needs that, you know," Dizzi stated, but Kenny just shrugged. "Aww... come on, Chief! No remarks? Comments? Insults even?!" 

"Sorry Dizzi... don't feel like it..." Kenny replied as he stretched his stiff body. He suddenly heard someone knock at his door and said that it was open. Who could be up at this time of the night? 

"Hey Chief..." It was Max. "Sorry to barge in on you like this... but I couldn't get any sleep..." 

"All because of Tyson's snoring?" 

The Tortoise smiled, but then it suddenly disappeared. "Not today, Dizzi. It's all about the fact that Rei told Tyson and made him promise not to tell. I mean, doesn't Rei trust us too?" He asked, sitting on Kenny's bed. 

"I don't think it's like that, Max. Maybe he only told Tyson because he was there when Rei decided to spill it all out. It could've been you, me or Kai. I think it was being there at the right moment." 

"I guess you're right, Chief," Max replied. 

"Besides... we really don't need to know. As long as Rei told someone... everything will go back to normal soon," Kenny stated. "I hope." 

"Yeah..." The blond stood up and made his way to the door. "Thanks Chief. Sorry for bothering you or anything." 

"Don't worry, Max. I wasn't really doing anything - just about to go to sleep." 

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway. Night!" 

"Goodnight, Max." 

The minute the Tortoise left the room, the Chief walked up to his window. He stared at the starry night sky, smiling in content. His smile grew wider when he saw snow falling down in a soft blanket of white. "Maybe Rei wouldn't be in so much pain tomorrow..." 

And little did he knew that he was wrong... very wrong. 

The White Tiger gazed at the first snowfall of the year in awe. No, it's not like he hadn't seen snow - but he was just happy to see it. In his eyes, winter was the best season... even though it brought bad memories. "Kirei..." He whispered, smiling warmly. Although he hadn't fully recover yet, his eyes held a small sparkle of life - a soul. 

_I have to thank Tyson over and over again... even though he took that incident quite differently from the way I expected... Ah well... Tyson will be Tyson... it's only me who changed... Then he... Nevermind, thinking too much is bad. Sleep... that's what I need..._

He walked over to his bed and lied down. Then his gaze wandered over to his friend's sleeping form. Tomorrow, once they go ice skating and was left alone - he would tell Kai of his feelings. He just hoped that he wasn't making a huge mistake. That's the last thing he needed. Losing a close friend over something he can't control. Love. 

He discarded all of his thoughts before he fell asleep. He would have to worry about all of those tomorrow, but right now... sleep. 

The next morning... 

A sliver of sunlight found it's way to each room, casting a warm and soothing glow around the whole area. Outside, the streets of Tokyo was covered in a pure white blanket of snow - but life still went on, as always. The world continued to rotate around it's axis, as it continued to revolve around the sun. It still went on with it's natural course, no matter what happens. 

The White Tiger stirred in his sleep, and his expression was that of apprehension and anxiety. He tossed and turned around his bed, shivering violently. He bolted upright and took in deep breathes. He ran shaky fingers through his hair, and then he gulped. 

"Been dreaming again, huh?" 

Amber met crimson, and never did one of them dared to break the gaze. 

"I..." Rei swallowed again, before he plastered a fake smile on his face. "It was nothing. Just a stupid nightmare." 

"I bet it is... Liar," Kai snorted. "I can recognize torment when I see it. And do you really think you're gonna fool me with that smile? I can tell that it's not your smile." His eyes softened as the overpowering need to help Rei took control of him once again. He didn't know why, but he just felt like doing it. Was it possible that he actually fell in love with the White Tiger? Probably... because there are no other logical reasons as to why he almost blurted out his feelings. 

"You wouldn't understand," Rei said, turning his head away. He didn't want to talk about this again. 

"I'd try to understand," The Red Phoenix replied as he stood up and sat beside his friend. This made the raven-haired teenager tense up, but he reluctantly lifted his gaze to look straight at Kai, allowing him to see the fear and uncertainty within those golden depths. 

"I will tell you all about it, Kai... but not now, not right now..." Rei whispered, hoping that his leader would understand. 

"I see. Then I'd wait 'til you're ready," Kai replied, nodding. 

"Thanks Kai..." The White Tiger sighed in relief. "Friends again?" 

"Who said we weren't friends?" The Red Phoenix slinged an arm across Rei's shoulders in a friendly manner, fighting a smirk back to oblivion when he saw a red flush stain his friend's cheeks. 

"No-nobody... I just thought that you hated me last night for not telling you anything..." Rei answered as he lowered his gaze. 

"Rei, as I've said before - I'm not mad, just frustrated because you were in pain and you wouldn't let me help you..." Kai said. 

"Really?" 

"Really really. Oh geez, I sound like an idiot..." Kai saw a smile form on Rei's lips. "I've missed seeing a smile on your face... a true smile..." He commented and it made the raven-haired teenager blush even more. He grinned before he spoke," What say we grab something before Tyson eats them all up?" 

"I say you sound like a broken record... you already asked me that question before. But anyways, we'll go down after we do all of our necessary preparations," Rei stated as he stood up. He grabbed a new set of clothes and went straight to the bathroom. 

The Red Phoenix fell back down of Rei's bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe what he just did a while back! He... he... "Bah, it's not like I've declared my love for him or anything. But then again, I'm going to tell him later... What to do, what to do, what to do..." 

He got lost in his thoughts a minute later and started to think about how he'll tell Rei. Well, he thought that he could go for a direct approach, but then that wouldn't be too romantic. Then another idea struck his head: What if he waited for him and Rei to be alone? "Hmm... that could work. Yes, it's perfect!" 

"What the heck are you talking about?" 

Kai froze and he sat upright. He turned to look at Rei, and grinned sheepishly. "Ehehe... how long have you been there?" 

"Hmm? Just came out," Rei replied. "Your turn." 

"Right." The Red Phoenix stood up, grabbed his stuff and went straight inside the adjoining bathroom. He locked the door and took off his clothing, sighing in relief. "Meh... that was close." He procedeed to take a shower, and got lost in his thoughts once again. 

_Wait... what will happen if I did tell Rei then he doesn't love me back? What if he only wanted to be friends or something like that?!_

"Kami-sama, why did love had to be so difficult to understand?" He asked the air, and sighed when he didn't get an answer. Of course, he never expected an answer. He grumbled in frustration before he got out of the shower and put on his clothes. He grabbed his towel and started to dry his hair. When he was done, he left the bathroom and sat beside Rei again. 

"So... we should head down now, eh?" Rei asked. Before Kai could reply, he jumped off and went streaking towards the door. "Last one down there is a rotten egg!" 

The Red Phoenix laughed and jumped up to follow the White Tiger. "I don't think so!" He suddenly grabbed hold of Rei's shoulder as soon as both of them were out in the hallway. "Don't forget that I'm stronger than you. I can easily pull you back inside..." 

"Well then, Mr. I'm-stronger-than-you... you forgot one tiny little info about me," Rei said making Kai raise an eyebrow playfully. 

"Oh really? Come on, refresh my memory." 

"You may be a phoenix, but I am a tiger. What I lack in strength, I make up in speed," Rei smirked, showing a single fang. "So byebye!" He slipped out of his friend's grasp and dashed for the elevator. 

The Red Phoenix was caught off guard, and he stumbled a bit when Rei got out of his hands. He had to agree though; the White Tiger's speed was a blink-miss standard, going to full speed from a stand-still. Then his cheery laughter as he made his flawless escape... Those eyes... 

He snapped out of his musing when he saw the elevator door closed, making him curse softly under his breath. He sighed and headed down the stairs. And by the time he reached the ground floor, he saw Rei leaning against a nearby wall. 

"Took you long enough," The White Tiger stated, pushing himself off the wall. He walked over to the Red Phoenix and grinned, receiving a smirk back. 

Kai bowed slightly, gesturing for Rei to move along. "Ladies first..." 

Rei was about to walk when realization hit him. "Hey... what's that supposed to mean?" 

"Nothing," replied Kai innocently. 

"Oh really now? Then you go first." 

"No, you go first." 

"Nope, you first." 

"No, you." 

"No, you." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You!" 

"You!" 

"For the love of God, make up your mind!" A familiar voice cried out, making both Kai and Rei snap out of their little 'argument'. They turned around to face the one who spoke, seeing a grinning Tyson. 

"Oh, goodmorning, Tyson!" Rei greeted. 

"Ah, bonjour, mes amis! Comment ça va aujourd'hui?" The Blue Dragon asked in a fancy French accent, making both Kai and Rei blink in disbelief. 

"The Red Phoenix nudged the White Tiger, "Should we ask him?" 

"If you don't, I will," Rei replied. 

Kai nodded, before he moved over to Tyson. "What's up with all the French?" 

"J'ai envie de parler en français," Tyson replied happily. 

"Uh... what did he say?" Rei asked. 

"He felt like speaking in French," Kai answered. 

"We shouldn't have asked," Rei whispered. 

"I agree... Methinks we better go," The slate blue-haired boy grabbed Rei's hand and lead him straight to the cafeteria. They got themselves some waffles and walked towards their usual table. 

"Goodmorning, guys!" Max chirped as both Kai and Rei sat down. "Have you come across a boy who looks exactly like Tyson but speaks French?" 

The White Tiger laughed, "Seriously Max... there's only one Tyson. Anyways, why the heck is he speaking in French?" 

"No idea," The Tortoise shrugged. "He told me the reason in French." 

"Merii kurisumasu, minna-san!" The Blue Dragon stated as he sat down beside Max, then he got nods and some few Merii kurisumasu's in reply. "So, are we still going skating?" 

"Of course. And I'm glad to know that you've finally decided to get out of French mode," The Chief replied, earning a noogie from Tyson. 

"Hehehe, it was fun while it lasted! Anyways, I was thinking that maybe we could play Truth or Dare after we go ice skating. I've got lost of mischievous punishment - I mean, dares up my sleeve," Tyson said, grinning. Yep, he had a lot of plans... 

"Sure, why not?" 

"Alright." 

"Count me in." 

"Kai?" The Blue Dragon looked at the Red Phoenix. 

"Do I have a choice?" 

"I'll take that as a yes!" Tyson said before he turned to look at everybody. He gave them the V-sign and smiled. "Alrighty, we're gonna have lots of fun today!" 

"Yeah, and we can go to the park as soon as everybody's ready," The Chief stated, getting nods from all his comrades. 

Then their breakfast began. The rest of breakfast contained of the BladeBreakers chatting softly with each other and Rei eating in silence. 

_They're out there... I don't want to go, but that would draw some unwanted attention. Oh well, as long as I stick with my friends, they won't be able to touch me..._

The White Tiger was caught up in his little world that it took him quite a while to notice that Kai was talking to him. "Wha?" 

"I asked if you were alright..." The Red Phoenix answered. 

"Yeah, of course I am. I was just thinking about stuff..." 

"Well, okay, but you might want to know that everybody left and that Tyson threatened all of us with wild and whacky dares if we don't hurry," Kai explained making Rei pale briefly. 

"He said what?! We better go then, Kai! You don't want to know what kind of dares Tyson has in store for us!" Rei stood up and ran towards the elevator with Kai following him behind. 

"Whoa, Rei, take it easy. What's bad about a few dares?" 

"Obviously, Kai, you haven't seen, heard, and done any of Tyson's dares. It's humiliating... and weird," Rei replied as he pushed the corresponding button for the seventh floor. 

"Hmm... I'll be the judge of that," The slate blue-haired boy said. "Why don't you give me an example?" 

"Of Tyson's dares? Well..." The White Tiger blushed slightly and looked down at the floor. "Let me think... Well, he could dare you to wear a purple elephant costume and prance around like a pony in it." 

"Really now?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Take it from me, the one who got dared to do that, it's not a pretty sight..." Rei mumbled, embarassed at what he just revealed. 

"I see..." Kai paused. "It doesn't sound that bad." 

"That's exactly what I said before I got dared, Kai..." Rei walked out of the elevator as soon as it opened, and then went inside the room he shared with Kai. Then his mind lost it again... 

_ He saw Aku on one side, and Kagai on the other. There was no way out, and he knew it. He fell on his knees and clutched his head tightly as he felt their hands roam around his skin again. Their words cut through him like a knife. _

"Just tell us you're ours and it won't hurt one bit." 

But he didn't reply. He just stared at them and... and then... The pain began again. His body stopped functioning as all he felt was pain. Then he suddenly felt another pair of arms on him, yet this one was different... They were warm and he felt safe... 

"Rei? Rei! Snap out of it, Rei!" 

Slowly, he returned to the present, seeing Kai's worried face in front of him. "Ka-kai?" His lips quivered and he threw himself into Kai's open arms. "I can't... I don't want it to happen again... Please don't let them... don't... I..." 

The Red Phoenix stroked his comrade's hair soothingly and whispered calming words. His mind began to wonder what could've happened to Rei that would cause him to act like this. And then... realization hit him like a speeding train. 

_But of course! Why hadn't I thought of this before?!_

"I don't... I don't want to go... Not with them out there... I don't want to..." Rei choked, his body shaking with sobs. 

"Shh... calm down, Rei... calm down..." Kai murmured softly, and sighed in relief when his friend complied. "They won't get you... I won't let them..." He tightened his grip, and whispered firmly yet gently at the same time. "I'll protect you..." He felt Rei's body tense up at his words, and then smiled as his comrade calmed down. He was happy that he finally knew the whole truth, but at the same time - he was furious at whoever did this to Rei; he swore to himself that he would make them pay! 

_I'll get the ones who caused you pain, Rei. I swear I'll kill them for you!_

"Kai?" The raven-haired teenager looked up slowly. "S-shouldn't we go now? Th-the dares..." He attempted a weak smile, but it immediately vanished. He flinched and pulled away from the embrace. 

"Here," The slate blue-haired boy handed Rei his coat and the black skates they bought a few months ago. And then he offered a hand. 

"Thanks," The White Tiger took the Red Phoenix's hand and pushed himself off the ground. He slipped on his coat and was lead to the door. "You do know that I can perfectly walk on my own, right?" He asked, completely forgetting about the past. 

"Hmm... I know," Kai replied, grinning innocently. 

"You're beginning to scare me," Rei said as they both headed towards the elevator. 

"Why?" 

"Well, where should I start? You grin, you smile, you laugh, you joke around - you do things that are very un-Kai like. If you continue this, someone might actually faint!" Rei replied, making Kai look away. 

_Rei no baka! Baka, baka, baka, baka, baka!!_

"Oh, so you mean you don't like th new Kai..." It was a statement, not a question. 

"No! I mean, it's not what you think... I just think that it's very peculiar for an emotionless person like you to have emotions all of a sudden. No offence..." 

"None taken," The Red Phoenix replied. 

_So you find it unbelievable for a person like me to feel something? Is that it, Rei?_

"You could yell at me if you want... I mean, the things I said were uncalled for and rude. You have every right to be mad and I could stay away from you if you want. Ten feet away? Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it..." Rei stated. 

_Who could possibly get mad at you, Rei? Maybe me if you guys didn't break through the ice... if you didn't change me..._

"Nah, it's okay. Don't worry about it." 

The doors opened and they stepped outside. A few ways away, they spotted their friends by the door and quickly walked up to them. 

"Sorry we're late. We ran into some minor problem," Rei explained. "Did you guys wait long?" 

"Nope, but that doesn't mean that I won't give out my dares. You're gonna love it!" The Blue Dragon grinned and then he was dragged outside before he could say anything else. 

"Alrighty, Tyson. Why don't we start walking towards the park?" The Tortoise asked as he dragged his friend along the sidewalk. He was wearing his trademark grin and chuckled while Tyson tried to get away. 

Rei, Kenny and Kai looked at each other and shrugged. "Guess we should follow them..." 

The group walked towards the park in silence, all except for Tyson, who was 'ordering' Max to let him go. 

"Aww geez, Tyson! Quit your whining and get your skates on! We're here!" Max let go of his friend's hand and sat down on an empty bench. He heard the navy blue-haired boy grumble a few words before he sat down beside the Chief, who was right beside the blond. He looked around for Rei and Kai, and spotted them on another bench. 

"Eh... I don't think I want to go skating. I mean, what about Dizzi? Somebody could steal her!" Kenny pointed out. 

"My hero!" Dizzi teased. 

Tyson was looking at the place where Rei and Kai was, and nodded before he turned to Kenny. "Are you sure, Chief?" 

"Yeah, I'll be fine." 

"Okay, if you say so..." The Blue Dragon stood up and smirked as he saw the Tortoise nearing the frozen lake. He was about to push his friend then he backed off, telling himself that he can make the blond suffer later with his dares. "Up for a little race, Maxie?" 

"Sure am!" 

"Alrighty! Three laps around the lake and..." Tyson trailed off as he stepped on the ice, holding on the railing. "Lemme think... the loser gets to be the winner's slave for the rest of the day!" 

"You're on!" Max smiled as he and Tyson got ready to start the race. 

"Three... two... one... Let's... RACE!!" And they're off, evading the crowd with ease. 

Meanwhile, the White Tiger was watching his two comrades race around the lake, and then he fidgeted in his seat. Then he saw a little girl fall down and start crying, making him flinch. "I don't think I want to go skating..." 

"Oh, and why is that?" The Red Phoenix asked as he stood up to make sure that his skates were tight enough. 

"I don't know... I just don't want to..." Rei looked up and saw that his friend didn't believe what he said. "Okay, okay... I don't know how to skate..." 

"Hmm... don't worry. It's easy. Come on, I'll show you," Kai gestured Rei to stand up and follow him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Rei's feet was wobbling, and chuckled softly when he caught his friend in his arms. "But first you need to learn how to tie your skates." He made Rei sit down again, and he knelt in front of his friend. He untied it first and began to tighten it up. "You see, you need to tie it tight - not tight enough to cut your circulation - just tight enough. Otherwise, you'll be wobbling all the time." 

"Alright, sensei. What do I do next?" Rei asked as he stood up. 

"We skate," Kai replied simply, leading Rei into the ice. "Now, hold onto the railing while I show you the basics." 

"Okay," The raven-haired teenager nodded. 

Kai slowly glided on the ice to get some space, before he turned to face Rei. "First, bend your knees and just push off the ice. Pretty easy, eh? Then just glide around. If you want to go fast, push off even harder and keep on doing that 'til you reach your desired speed," He stated as he kept on skating back and forth. "Now, you try." 

"There's no way I'm doing this!" 

The Red Phoenix rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright. We'll do it another way." He held out both of his hands which Rei reluctantly accepted. "Now, do what I told you to do." 

The White Tiger gulped and cautiously pushed off, shuffling his feet over the slippery substance. "...And now I'm scared." 

Kai skated backwards while Rei continued on with his slow pace, a smile forming on his lips. "Don't be scared, Rei. I won't let you go, I promi-" His words were cut off when Tyson crouched and passed in between the two of them. "Hey, watch it, Tyson!" 

"Ah, gomen!" The Blue Dragon called back, and gained a bit on Max. 

"Kids..." Kai mumbled, and then he returned his gaze back at Rei, only to find him skating around him. "B-but... I thought... eh?" 

"So I lied," Rei answered his friend's unasked question, then he slowly skated away from Kai. 

"Why you little..." Kai turned to Rei, a smirk on his face. He looked at Rei, and skated in his direction, gaining speed with each glide. "I'm going to get you...!" 

Rei gasped in fear as he turned around quickly, skating for his dear life as he dodged through the other skaters. Weaving his way through the crowd, the wind whipped on his face as he looked back every-so-often to see Kai hot on his trail. "Meep!" He finally made it to a clear spot on the lake, but he didn't hear Kai slashing his blades on the ice. 

He turned around to find a tangled heap on the ice, containing Kai and Tyson. Rei laughed at the scene, watching eagerly as Kai tried to pry Tyson off him, since he was at the bottom. "Ne Tyson... I completed your dare; I got skating lessons from our leader..." Rei grinned as he neared Max, who was standing beside the mini-dog pile. 

"And I completed your dare; I bumped into Kai, plus - I fell over him," Tyson said as he got up, brushing the ice of his pants. 

"Why of all the...! Come 'ere!" Kai wrapped his arms around Rei's knees and pulled them closer, making the Chinese Beyblader fall down. He crawled on top of Rei, his face inches away from his friend's. "Now you can't get away..." 

And this caused another memory to emerge from Rei's mind. "Aku... Kagai..." He scrambled away from Kai and stood up. He shook his head slowly before he moved away from his comrades. 

Bewildered by the incident, Max asked, "Who's Aku and Kagai?" 

"Rei told me... but I promised not to tell..." The Blue Dragon stated. 

"That's okay," Max replied. 

"I think I have a pretty good idea... but we need to follow Rei. He might run into them." The Red Phoenix skated towards the bench Kenny was sitting on. "Where's Rei?" 

"Um... he grabbed his stuff and left," Kenny replied. 

Kai nodded his thanks and quickly removed his skates, slipping on his boots. He stood and dashed towards the direction of the hotel, hoping that Rei was safe. 

But the thing is, Rei was far from being safe. 

A hand clamped on his shoulder, and Rei lifted gaze, wondering who had the nerve to touch him. And when he saw who stood before him, his body froze with fear. He started to look for a way out, but there was none so he settled for backing away, only to collide with someone else. 

"Well, well, well..." The one who he collided with stated, making him gasp. 

"It's so nice to bump into you again... Rei..." The one named, Kagai, remarked. "You know... we've missed you... again. But, I bet you already know that." He licked his lips and ran his hand across Rei's chest. 

"Easy there, Kagai. We don't need to do this now..." The other one, Aku, stated. "We were looking forward to seeing you again." 

"W-what d-d-do y-you want?" The White Tiger asked, shivering like there was no tomorrow. 

"We've come to give you an offer you can't refuse..." Kagai replied. 

"...An offer that will decide your friend's fate, the slate blue-haired one..." Aku continued. "Come with us, and we'll leave him alone." 

_Kai..._

"I... I..." Rei didn't know what to do; his mind told him not to give in, but what about Kai? "I..." His voice cracked as tears formed in his eyes. He didn't want to, but he knew that he had to... as long as Kai was safe. 

"We can do this in two ways - the easy way or the hard way..." Kagai grinned as he began to advance on Rei. He licked his lips and was about to force his 'prey' into a deep kiss when... 

"Fire arrows!" Vivid red flames emitted from a dark blue blade and soon a phoenix was summoned, screeching as it stood in front of the White Tiger protectively. 

"Where did this come from?!" Aku asked as both he and his brother backed away. Aku narrowed his eyes as a figure approached from behind the raven-haired teeanger, growling angrily. It was that slate blue-haired boy! 

"How dare you interrupt our sweet reunion?!" Kagai asked, causing the Red Phoenix to laugh. 

"That's just pathetic. Your pitiful attempts to make me flinch are nothing but garbage! You have to do more than 'babbling' threats to scare me," Kai said. 

"Why you little shrimp! I'll-" Kagai was cut off when his older brother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aniki..." 

"Forget it, Kagai. We're leaving," Aku glared at Kai before he turned around and left, Kagai following him closely. 

Kai was about to run after him when he heard his comrade speak. And he noted that something was different in Rei's voice... Something was wrong... very wrong. 

"Let them go, Kai..." The White Tiger whispered, his rebellious bangs covering his eyes. Yet, he knew that his comrade could still see his tears. 

"Rei, it's okay. They're gone now..." Kai pulled the raven-haired teenager to a hug. "I'll make sure that they won't bother you again... I promise..." 

"..." Rei remained silent, not doing anything to stop his tears. 

_They won't be gone for long... they still want me. If I don't come with them, they'll kill you. I don't want that... I don't want you to die because of me..._

"Kai! Rei!" 

The Red Phoenix looked behind and saw the rest of the BladeBreakers, running towards them. "Don't worry. He's okay... I came in right before those fools did anything to him." 

"That's good then..." The Chief said. 

"We better head back then... Rei doesn't look too good," Max suggested. 

---

The sun was now setting at the west, making the sky look as if it was one fire. Dark red and orange all swirled into an artist's canvas, and slowly - midnight blue was soon added when the sun sunk down even further. 

Inside the room Tyson shared with Max, whistles and cries of frustrations were heard. What could it be? 

"And it's your turn, Kai..." The Blue Dragon stated, grinning evilly. His dark blue eyes were gleaming with mischief, and that's not a good sign. 

Kai rolled his eyes, "Alright. Bring it on, Tyson." He stared straight into Tyson's eyes, completely oblivious to what the other's plans were. Their gaze was intense, and it was soon broken. 

"Truth or Dare?" Tyson asked. 

"Dare." 

Tyson's grin grew wider and he began to think. And he snickered when a cool idea hit his head. "Alright. Since it's your first time playing this game... I'll give you two dares and you get to pick. Aren't I nice?" 

"Very," Kai replied sarcastically. 

"Hmm... it's either you wear a pink tutu and dance around the cafeteria like a love-struck ballerina OR you wear a pink frilly shirt tomorrow - for the whole day!!" 

The slate blue-haired boy doubled over; Rei wasn't kidding - the Blue Dragon's dares were weird. "I'll go with the shirt... it's a lot easier." 

"Oh, but Kai... we don't have a shirt like that with us," Tyson replied. "You have to buy it tomorrow and wear it!" 

"Very... interesting," Rei remarked, surpressing his laughter. And then he fell silent when he realized that it was his turn again. "Meep!" 

"Meep is right, Rei. Truth or Dare?" Kai asked, a bit pale from thinking about the dare he had to do tomorrow. 

"Ehehe... Truth," Rei answered. This earned him a few Oooh's and Aaaah's from his friends. 

"Okay. If you're in love with someone, who is it?" The Red Phoenix asked, making his comrades gasp. He smirked, knowing too well why. They hadn't expected a question like this from him. 

"I..." The White Tiger was flustered, his heart beating wildly. "Can I just switch to Dare?" He asked sheepishly. 

"Nope." 

And with that reply, Rei gulped. "Fine. I love..." 

"Go on," Tyson urged, curious to find out who his comrade loved. 

"I love..." Rei swallowed and finally blurted out, "I love Kai!!" He cracked an eye open, and saw a look of shock on Kai's face, making him feel that it would've been a lot better if he didn't say anything at all. Then the shocked look changed into an angry one, causing Rei to fear the worst. And he felt his whole world crumble before him, when the Red Phoenix stood up and left the room. 

"Kai!" Tyson called out, before he looked at Rei. "Rei... I..." 

"Don't," Rei said, a fresh new wave of tears forming in his eyes. "It doesn't matter..." 

"Then why are you..." 

"Enough already!!" The White Tiger snapped as he stood up and ran, not knowing where to go. He didn't even go far, not even near the elevator as he crumpled to the floor in tears. His heart was crushed, his soul was torn apart, knowing that the one he loved didn't love him back. 

He had been right all along. Everything that happened between them was a lie. 

He stood up and wiped his tears away, letting out a shaky sigh. He walked over to the elevator and as soon as he reached the last floor, he went out of the hotel. He didn't even care that he didn't have his jacket. But why bother? His life was ruined anyway. 

He turned around a corner and gasped when a hand wrapped itself around his waist, pulling him closer to the darkness. Another hand with a cloth clamped over his mouth, and soon - he felt dizzy. He tried to fight it back, but it was too late. He slipped out of reality, falling limp in the hands of his captor. 

"Goodie, I got him, aniki." 

"Perfect..." 

Back at the hotel... 

Kai held his head in his hands, his fingers tightly woven into his hair. "What's wrong with me?" He asked the empty room. "Why couldn't I tell him?" 

He was referring to Rei, of course. The raven-haired teenager had just told him that he loved him, but he didn't do anything about it. He just stared at Rei like he was some creature from another being, and then he walked away. 

Kai mentally kicked himself for the way he had just left Rei there, not even able to say one word. He had been waiting so long to express his feelings, and all he could do when Rei had said that he loved him, was stare at him. He should've said something, anything. Anything would've been better than saying nothing at all. 

He was angry at himself, angry at himself for backing away. But he knew that it was no use. He screwed up his one chance with Rei; it would be too painful for the White Tiger to see him now. 

"Hiwatari! Open the damn door right now!!" The Blue Dragon boomed, banging his fist on the door. He didn't care if he was disturbing other people with his 'knocking', because he was determined to give his friend a piece of his mind. 

"Calm down, Ty-" The Red Phoenix wasn't able to finish his sentence when his angry comrade pinned him to the floor. "Argh! Get off me!" 

"No, not until I get this through your thick head!" Tyson's eyes were burning with rage. "Your stupid actions caused Rei so much pain! Did you know that he was sitting on the floor, trembling while he cried?! He was crying - _again_! Just a while ago he was laughing, damn it! _Laughing_! Do you know how much we've missed seeing the cheerful Rei?!" 

"..." 

"Ever since he was raped by those _fucking_ Twins of Terror, he changed - drastically. And you helped him, Hiwatari. You helped him revert back to the Rei Kon we all know and loved! And when you just frickin' stared at him when he told you what he felt, you destroyed any hopes he had for starting anew!" Tyson took a deep breathe and turned around. "You might want to congratulate yourself - you've accomplished the impossible," He sneered and walked away, back to his room. 

Kai could only watch in amazement as the other 'blader left. He didn't know that Tyson could show off his rage like... like... He shook his head, and stood up, pulling on his jacket. He knew that he had to do - find Rei and tell him that he loved him too. 

It was snowing again, but nothing drastic, only a few inches or so, and it hadn't been very cold. Kai had absolutely no idea where to start, but his senses guided him to random places. He asked around if anyone had seen a young teenager with long raven hair. All he got were a few no's and shrugs, which was just a pain. 

It was quarter after eleven, and there were still no signs of Rei. The slate blue-haired boy began to think that he had driven off his friend for good. His heart sank. He cursed himself for being so stupid to let the White Tiger run off like that. He knew that he should've stopped him. He continued on with his search, hoping that he'll have some luck soon... 

Twelve midnight just rolled around and a sharp blast of wind bit the bare flesh of his skin. He was panicking now. He could hardly stand the thought of Rei crying out there, thinking that he didn't care for him one bit. He knew that he had to keep on looking... but it was getting late. 

His mind said that Rei was probably back at their room, crying his heart out. But... his heart didn't feel that it was true. What if... What if Aku and Kagai...? "No! I musn't think like that.... Rei's safe... he can protect himself..." 

_But can you really fight back when you have a broken heart?_

He fell on his knees, not caring about the freezing ice against him. He lowered his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. And then... a solitary tear made it's way down his cheek. Then he cried... the Red Phoenix cried. Why? Why did he have to be such a coward? Why can't he say those three simple words? 

"I'm so sorry, Rei... Please come back to me..." His heart ached like there was a knife stabbed in it, and he shuddered before he whispered those three simple words - words that were needed to be said. 

"I love you..." 

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Holy mother of juppies! It was _long_! Anyways, I'm prepared for anybody who's out to kill me!! -ish behind a fortress now- I have swords and everything! Hehehe... What did you think of meh Christmas gift? Was it good or was it utterly horrible? Are you out to kill me? Tell me everything in your review! But right now... I need to open some presents! Mfreep! Ja! 


	6. Anger

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** Whew! I'm quite sorry for the long wait! I was supposed to upload this at Thursday, but ff.net was down and it was being mean to me! >.> Anyways, don't you know that I only haff one more chappie to go before I go back to meh other fic?! I can finally make Kai as meh puppet again, and maybe I can introduce my muse! The one who kept on bickering at me to continue his story soon, because he was evil there. ^^; Here's the ficcie - enjoy! 

_ **Disclaimer:** The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are not mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and not for making money. _

**Anger**   
By Shinzui 

The White Tiger was on a cold hard bed, his body curled into a fetal position with blood staining his thighs as well as the white sheets. He had only been in this horrible place for five days - _five_ days! But to him, it was a lifetime - an eternity of nothing but pain and torment. This is what he had been fearing for so long. This was the place that plagued him while he's asleep. He didn't want to be in this place. He didn't want to be in his own personal **hell**. 

He had already given up hope of ever being rescued. That _stupid_ idea disappeared over a day ago. Yes, such a stupid thing to hope for, pathetic even! Somebody will rescue... hah! What a laugh! Who would ever be stupid enough to find his whereabouts and rescue him from his worst nightmare? Who would be _stupid_ enough to be his 'knight in shining armor'? Kai probably didn't even notice that he was gone, wouldn't even _care_ if he did. 

After all, who would care for someone like him? 

His body was used over, and over, and over again. Aku and Kagai took turns 'playing' with him, and each one had their own way of inflicting pain. He shuddered at the sudden thought of Aku - this guy was trying to break him, to make him into a terrified soul willing to do anything that Aku wished. 

And he shivered even more when Kagai strolled across the small room he was in. This guy knew how to cause pain without ever leaving a mark... Rei guessed that his body was too valuable to both brothers. 

"Goodmorning, my little pet. Did you sleep well?" Kagai asked, his greyish blue eyes gleaming with mischief and lust. Without waiting for a reply, he climbed on the bed and on top of the boy, smirking. "You better brace yourself... I won't go easy on you this time..." He reached out his hand and brushed the boy's bangs away. He smiled and forced his 'toy' into a deep, searing kiss, his hand playing with the raven locks. 

And then the torture began again. 

Rei stared at the ceiling blankly. It all became clearer to him now. Nothing mattered anymore. He was as good as dead. No one cared about him. No one would rescue him. Aku and Kagai had already stripped him of his dignity and freedom. What else did he have left? Nothing... nothing but self-hatred, pain and guilt. 

"Tell me you're mine," Kagai demanded. 

"I'm yours," The boy replied weakly, before he bit his lip from crying out loud. 

"Again," His captor ordered. 

"I'm yours," Rei repeated, forcing his hoarse voice to speak louder. Both his tormentors had asked him to say this, and he knew that after that - the pain would become unbearable. He bit his lip, surpressing his whimpers of pain, but it was too much... 

_I want to die..._

He closed his eyes and slowly, his mind began to slip into that sweet yet horrible oblivion. He felt nothing, no pain, no anger, no love, no nothing. The minute he opened his eyes, they held nothing as well - just a plain sickly shade of yellowish grey. 

The last remaining shreds of innocence and humanity slipped away, and tears ran down his cheeks. The broken doll felt nothing anymore, and he lied completely limp beneath his tormentor. 

_Nobody can hurt me now..._   
  
  
"Rei!" The Red Phoenix woke up immediately, sweat trickling down his forehead. He sat up and shook off the images he saw in his dream. He sighed heavily and tossed the sweat-dampened sheets away from him. He stood up and entered the bathroom, closing the door after that. He closed his eyes as he flicked the light on, knowing that the sudden brightness would sting. As he opened his eyes again, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. "You've caused so much pain with your cowardice... Did you know that?" He whispered, glaring at his mirror image. 

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, wishing that he could go back in time and fix his stupid mistake. Then he turned the water off, before he grabbed a nearby towel to wipe his face. As he stood up straight, he glanced at his reflection again. "You better bring him back..." 

He left the bathroom, shutting the light off. He went out of his room, and went downstairs, heading straight for the kitchen. He looked around, seeing that nobody was here but himself. _Probably tired from searching and moving our stuff here,_ he thought bluntly. 

They had recently transferred from the hotel to this nice and cozy apartment. The structure was pretty simple; sky blue walls that are made of stone, beige-colored carpet, and it was completely furnished. It has two floors consisting of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area and a living room. 

Kai got the Master's Bedroom which had an adjoining bathroom. Tyson and Max shared a room, and Kenny slept in another room - as usual. 

He got himself a cup of coffee and walked over to the dining area. He sat down and stared at his drink. His mind occupied by the memories he wanted to forget about. 

**| flashback |**

"I..." The White Tiger was flustered, a red flush staining his cheeks. "Can I just switch to Dare?" He asked sheepishly. 

"Nope." Kai grinned, waiting for his friend's answer. 

And with that reply, Rei gulped. "Fine. I love..." 

"Go on," Tyson urged, curious to find out who his comrade loved. 

"I love..." Rei swallowed and finally blurted out, "I love Kai!!" 

Kai almost doubled over at Rei's answer. Him... love? But how? His face wore a shock expression, and he could feel the anger burning inside him. He didn't know why, but he got mad. Growling silently, he stood up and left the room. When he got outside, realization hit him. "What have I done?" 

**| end flashback |**

He clenched his fist, kicking himself mentally over and over again. He had hurt Rei and now Rei was gone. It had been over five days, with no word from the long-haired beyblader. He was sure that something had happened now, and he can't seem to shake off the feeling of terror. What if Rei was with those two? 

"Kai?" The Chief asked, stepping into the area. 

"What?" Kai snapped, he had tried to keep his anger back. This was all his fault, he knew it. If he had said something, anything to Rei, he wouldn't have left. 

"The others and I planned to run another search... as soon as they wake up," Kenny said, quietly. "I thought you'd want to come..." 

Kai lowered his gaze, but kept his voice at its usual monotone. "Thank you," He replied. 

Kenny smiled a bit. "Don't worry, we'll find him." 

"What makes you think I'm worried?" The slate blue-haired boy asked, fixing his gaze on the Chief. 

"I can see it as clearly as day. I know you love him," Kenny replied. 

The Red Phoenix turned away. He had been trying to keep his feelings under control, trying to hide the fact that he was worried about the White Tiger. Although he didn't do a good job, seeing that he couldn't keep himself still for more than a few seconds in the past. 

"Is it so obvious?" He asked, embarassed by the fact that Kenny knew. 

"I doubt the others know... but they'll figure it out soon." 

"Erm... can I borrow your laptop?" Kai asked, wanting to change the subject. "I need to check something..." 

_Lame save with the subject change._

"Uh... okay. I don't think Dizzi would mind," Kenny answered. "It's in my room, if you're planning to use it now." 

Kai nodded his thanks before returning his gaze back to his coffee. He sighed heavily and stood, leaving his cup on the table. "I'll be upstairs if you need me." He turned around and walked back up to his room. He walked past a sleepy Blue Dragon, and mumbled a quick greeting before disappearing inside his room. 

Rubbing his eyes, Tyson yawned before he sat down. "Goo' mornin'..." 

"Goodmorning, Tyson. Want something to eat?" The Chief asked, heading for the kitchen. 

"Not as of now... but thanks anyways," Tyson replied. "Hey Chief..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Where do you think Rei is?" The midnight blue-haired boy asked, sighing. 

"Dunno," Kenny shrugged. 

"Argh! If only Kai said something - anything!" Tyson growled, pounding his fist on the table. "Damn him..." 

"You shouldn't blame Kai, Tyson. He loves Rei..." Kenny pointed out. 

"Did my ears just decieve me? Or did I hear right?" Tyson asked, surprised at the fact that was just revealed. 

"I'm positive. He didn't deny it," Kenny stated. 

"Oh..." Tyson silently yelled at himself for being so hard on Kai five days ago. He had known that Kai had been sorry, but if he had known that Kai did love Rei - he wouldn't have snapped like he had. "I'm going to go upstairs for a while." 

Kenny nodded, "Okay." 

Tyson walked up the stairs and through the hallway, knowing that he had to apologize to the Red Phoenix. It just occured to him that it would have been a total shock to Kai when Rei confessed all of a sudden. He stepped up to Kai's door and knocked. 

"Who is it?" Kai asked, from inside. 

"It's me - Tyson. Can I come in?" 

The door opened slightly, and Tyson pushed it the rest of the way. Stepping inside, he glanced around. The lights were off, and the room somewhat dark since the dark curtains prevented any sunlight from getting through. 

"What do you want?" Kai asked, his voice the same as usual. He was currently sitting on the bed in an Indian style. 

"I just came to apologize," replied Tyson. "For what I said five days ago. I had no idea that you loved Rei..." 

The Red Phoenix looked away and hugged his knees. "I pushed the feelings away for so long. I guess far too long," He murmured, staring straight ahead of him. 

The Blue Dragon stayed where he was, "When we find him, you can tell him how you feel." 

Kai looked up at him, "He's never coming back. I just know it. I ruined my only chance." 

"You can't think like that," Tyson said, keeping his emotions in check. He really didn't want to blow up again. That's the last thing he needed. 

Kai looked away and stood up. "I can think in any way I wish," He sneered. "I ruined my only chance because of my own stupidity. It's all clear to me now... I ruined my _only_ chance!" He turned to face the nearest wall and punched it. However, since the wall was made of stone, he only ended up hurting himself. 

"Kai, stop it!" Tyson said, grabbing his comrade before further damage can be done. 

Kai roughly pushed Tyson away. "Get away from me!" He shouted. 

"Kai... you can't do this yourself," Tyson stated calmly. 

The slate blue-haired boy leaned against the wall, and lowered his gaze. "Leave me alone," He murmured. "Just leave me alone." 

Tyson backed away, telling himself that his captain did need some time to himself. "Hey Kai... maybe it would be a lot better if you don't go with us today. It'll give you the time you need to think..." He said, wondering if that was the best thing to do. 

"Fine..." Kai answered sullenly, his voice almost inaudible. 

Tyson let out a sigh and nodded. He closed the door as he stepped into the hallway, meeting up with a worried blond. "Uh... hi," Tyson greeted, he obviously ran out of things to say. 

"Are you coming?" Max asked. 

"Yeah, of course! Kai's not coming though..." 

"That's fine, it doesn't matter. We better hurry if we ever want to find Rei..."   
  
  
The minute the door was closed, the Red Phoenix slid down to the floor. He'd been surpressing his emotions for, if he hadn't, then maybe he could've stopped this from happening. He sighed as he stood up, determination etched on his features. He was going to brink Rei back, and finally tell him those three words. 

He stepped outside his bedroom door and heard the main door close, indicating the other three had left the building. He walked over to Kenny's room, slipping inside quickly. As he turned the laptop on, he sat down and cracked his knuckles. 

"Who is foolish enough to disturb my sleep?" Dizzaru asked, snarling viciously after that. 

"Relax, Dizzi. It's only me..." Kai replied. 

"The _valiant_ Red Phoenix?" 

"Dizzi... please..." Kai looked away, not wanting to hear anymore. He didn't need the imprisoned bitbeast to remind him of how stupid he had been, how much of a coward he was. 

"Heh... you're lucky. I would've said a lot more if Kenny didn't tell me to go easy on you. But anyways, do what you have to do," Dizzi stated. 

"Thanks..." With that said, Kai began to type away at the keyboard. _Let me see if I still know how to do it._

One screen popped up after another, each one containing different information. He was currently looking through police records, searching for anything about Aku and Kagai. Finding none, he quickly tapped into their main database and smirked when the words 'ACCESS CONFIRMED' appeared on the screen. 

"Bingo." 

"Oooh... never knew you had the skills, Kai!" Dizzi said, impressed. 

"Hn. Now let's see..." Kai typed in a few characters, and another screen popped up. His face grew serious when he saw those two faces he was after. "Aku... Kagai..." He quickly scanned through their files and nearly jumped at what he found out. "...normally rapes and mangles their victims beyond recognition." 

"Say what?! If they're _that_ dangerous, then why in the world are they running around like a pair of donkeys?" 

"That's a no brainer. They escaped," The slate blue-haired boy replied. He pushed himself away from the desk, and he felt his heart grow cold. _It's only a matter of time before they kill Rei._ His mask of impassiveness, the one he wore a lot before the fateful battle in Siberia, was back on his face. He stood up, "There's an address here... just as I thought. I'm going to check it out." 

"But if they were caught in there, they could've moved some place else!" Dizzi pointed out. 

"Yes, I know... but it's a good place to start," Kai stated. "Anyways, thanks Dizzi... you can automatically shut down, right?" 

"Uh-huh... and I'll just finish some work here before we get caught!" 

"Right." Kai turned around to leave. "If the others come back and I'm still not here, tell them to look for flames or a ticked off ray of light. That's where I'll be." He walked out of the room and headed for his own. He quickly changed into his first traditional outfit, knowing that he'd look a lot more aggressive in these than in the clothes he was wearing a while back. 

He put on his scarf and secured his forearm gauntlets in place. He clenched his fist angrily, "As promised, I'm going to make them pay." He headed down the stairs and out the front door. As soon as his feet hit the sidewalk, he broke off into a run and made his way to the west side of the city. 

_Hang on, Rei. I'm coming._

_- Tsudzuku -_

**Shinzui's Rolling Rant:** And that's done. Now, I know this sucked like _hell_! Not a lot of action here, but... I don't know. Maybe in the next chappie... -shrugs- Ah well, I'm working on it. Actually, I'm near the end... and since school starts on Monday - ye'll hafta wait next week for it. XD See y'all next time! 


End file.
